A FAILED REGIME IN NEED OF CHANGE

13 YEARS UNDER EPLF/TPLF/EPRDF/MELES

 

DALLAS UEDF SUPPORT COMMITTEE

Introduction:

 

The seventeen-year military dictatorship of the DERG in Ethiopia collapsed due to unimaginable sacrifices by Ethiopia's brightest and educated youth and patriots of all ethnic nationals of the motherland. After gallons of blood, sweat and tears were lost; on May 28, 1991 our country and its people were finally rid of the military government and rejoiced in their newly won freedom. However, soon after this victory, the EPLF (Eritrean People Liberation Front), TPLF (Tigrean People Liberation Front), EPRDF (Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front) hijacked the struggle and achievement of the people.

 

The crime on Ethiopia and its people by EPLF/TPLF/EPRDF immediately became apparent when they started to promote their own narrow tribalism/ethnicity agenda. They facilitated and promoted the division and disintegration of Ethiopia and Ethiopians. They let Eritrea to secede from Ethiopia. EPLF/TPLF/EPRDF conferred a Constitution to the people with the right of secession for all nationalities to form an independent state and follow the footsteps of Eritrea. The ill-conceived article 39 in the constitution jeopardized the unity of the country, the unity of the people, and the territorial integrity of Ethiopia.

 

The people of Ethiopia continue to resist this narrow nationalist, anti unity and anti Ethiopia agenda of the Meles/EPRDF regime until such time a democratic government is established in the country. The state machinery of Meles/EPRDF regime, after 13 years of failed policy, is getting very nervous, anxious and extreme in its oppression of the opposition, the private media, labor, student groups, teachers groups,  the business community, and civil society as a whole.
Further scrutiny of the Meles/EPRDF regime clearly shows a delusional regime with no vision for tomorrow and afraid of its own shadows. It has started imaginary "achievement propaganda campaign" through its state media machinery and cadres. This propaganda has added insult to injury to all Ethiopians hungry for democracy.

When we scrutinize the performance of a government in power we need to have a look at some indicators of good governance and development.

What any people expect from a government is unity, territorial sovereignty and integrity, prosperity, peace, healthy environment, freedom and democracy, secured basic necessities (food, clothing, and housing), progressive change etc. And what people don't want is also obvious; war, hunger, destitution, subjugation and suppression, illiteracy, violation of freedom and democracy, surrendering of sovereignty and territorial integrity etc.

Unavailing the truth:

 

We would like to unveil the true facts of the state of the state of Ethiopia. As concerned citizens we couldn't tolerate the merciless propaganda of the government. We are writing this article to counter the attempt of the MELES/TPLF/EPRDF regime to misinform, deceive and lie to the people of Ethiopia and the international community as a whole. 

 

We are also requesting the reader to surf the Internet on Ethiopia, read the human right record of the regime and crosscheck and verify what we are stating here. Thanks to the information technology most activities of the governments are no longer covert. Let us now have a fleeting look on the performance of the TPLF/EPRDF regime.

 

War: - The government of Ethiopia has engaged in war with Eritrea, a state created by it with much fanfare land locking Ethiopia and stating to the people and the international community that conflicts between Eritrea and Ethiopia is over for good. However, soon after the seceding of Eritrea war consumed 70,000 innocent lives. The International Arbitration Tribunal set up in The Hague to arbitrate the warring parties gave its verdict by declaring Badme (the disputed boarder village) as part of Eritrea. There is a strong possibility for another conflict to erupt because of this ruling. There are conflicts in the southern part of the country with OLF (Oromo People Liberation Front). Different opposition groups in the north and northeast are in hit and run activities. The circle of war the people despised and fed up with is still there. TPLF has not offered peace or a better life to the people than the military regime it replaced; to the contrary, it has created a tinderbox of an ethnic Bantustans ready to explode.

Hunger: - In 1984 the world got traumatized about the starvation of the 6 million Ethiopians, which has also substantially contributed to the strength of the then rebel groups (EPLF/TPLF) and down fall of the Mengistu military regime. By then hunger is already believed to result from policy failure. The new regime has been expected to improve the policy aspect and the number of people with out food to eat. Surprisingly the number keeps on skyrocketing in a very alarming rate. It is now 16 million people who are in the verge of survival and death. Is this the success story they are putting forward? TPLF/EPRDF have already failed to develop a policy. Like the military regime, the government owns Land. There is no private ownership of land that could have paved the way to alleviate the problem of hunger within 13 years.

 

Freedom of association: - There have been a lot of promise by the rebels to guarantee the minimum standard of freedom of association. It has been proved to be a lip service to consolidate TPLF/EPRDF suppression machinery and instrument. The Chairman of Ethiopian Teachers Association (Professor Taye Woldesemayat) has served a prison termof almost five years. Its Deputy (Asefa Maru, who was also a third person in Ethiopian Human Right Congress) shot dead in daylight. The Chairman of Ethiopian Trade Union Association (Dawi Ibrahim) is in exile. The long serving 44 professors of Addis Ababa University has been sacked. The Leaders and Councils of University Students keep on marching to exile (E.g. In 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000). Gashaw Kassie (in 1991 and 1993) and Teklemichael Abebe (in 2000) can be mentioned among the Presidents of the students.

 

If the leaders have been facing such harassment and killing it is obvious to imagine what atrocity is unleashed on the ordinary members and supporters of these mass associations, which are far from media and diplomats attentions. In 2000 the government shot dead more than fifty people who took part on the demonstration lead by the university students. One can easily see the hellish environment created by the regime for free mass/civic organizations in Ethiopia. Recall what has been happening for the past three years around the student community.

 

Chamber of commerce: - The chairman of the chamber of commerce and the different officials there in has been harassed repeatedly for forwarding their opinion on the politics around the business community by EPRDF/TPLF and its illegal business empire. The Chairman and the secretary of Addis Ababa chamber and Ethiopia chamber of commerce Berhane and Yousef are now in exile seeking asylum in the west.

 

Human right record: - Here you can surf the report of Ethiopian Human Right Congress, Human Right Watch and others like US Sate Department Report. Because, it is impossible to summarize here effectively the rampant and all rounded violation and abuse of human rights the people are encountering in their day-to-day life.

Press: - Private FM Radio and Television is not allowed in Ethiopia. There is no private Radio and Television stations. It is only the government owned radio and television, which is working and allowed to work. Ethiopia is on the top of the list of countries where freedom of the press has no space and recognition. There is only few press people remain in the country. Most of them ended up in exile when they survive imprisonment and killing. Others are waiting their turn. The cycle keeps on rotating. Recently there is a process of legalizing the harassment restriction/limitation of the press by the government. The limitations don't fit the internationally and naturally agreed standard. EFJA resisted the new draft law. Finally the resistance of the EFJA led to the banning of the association. This move has attracted the attention and the condemnation of the regime and the draft law by all international, regional and local stakeholders. Surf on Ethiopia and press freedom and crosscheck the propositions.

 

Political organizations: - Multi party politics is an indicator of good governance. The TPLF has no tolerance at all for an opposition party with a potential of peoples support. It has even forbidden the participation of historical and popular political organization that has been sacrificing a lot in struggling and fighting the military regime and its predecessor till its downfall. Here UEDF  a coalition of opposition forces that include EPRP (Ethiopian People Revolutionary Party) / COEDF (Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces) can be mentioned. The existing and functional political organizations in the country are operating with in the bounds of TPLF/EPRDF. The leaders of political organizations are in prison (E.g Abera yemaneab). Professor Asrat Woldeyes (founder and leader of (AAPO) All Amhara People Organization which has recently transformed it self to ( AEPO) All Ethiopians People Organization)) lost his life after being in prison for almost five years. The government has also mastered the art of secret disappearance of opponents. Where are Tsegaye, Debtraw and others?

 

The EPRDF is not willing to allow the participation of UEDF in the coming election. It is strategically rejecting the conditions forwarded by the opposition regarding the electoral law and the electoral board. The issues/questions of international observers and security of the political party members are not looked after by the regime in Ethiopia.

 

Ethnicity: - Tribalism is the conceptual framework of the regime. The country has been divided into tribal/ethnic regions as a federal state on papers with out independent authority to function in practice. There have been a 13 year continues propaganda by the state media and the government institutions to inculcate a narrow nationalist sentiment in the individual and the people level. There are infinite tribal political organizations created and sponsored by the government in power to fulfill it shortsighted divide and rule policy. The government has no ear and tolerance for multinational political organizations. These ethnic based region and political organizations are a very scary time bomb in Ethiopia waiting to explode at any point in time.

 

There is a huge potential and possibility for the world to see another Somalia, Rwanda and Yugoslavia. It is the culture, the unity, and integration of the people that is containing the risk of conflict. However, as indicators there was and still are repeated ethnic clashes in different parts of the country. The environment is a haven for hate speech promoters. The young and new generation is ethnocentric. The constitution puts at stake citizenship of Ethiopians. The right of secession of any ethnic/tribal group to form its own independent state is guaranteed by the constitution.

 

Genocide: - the country is experiencing the worst kind of genocide. The Gambela region is under focus by the international community for the government-sponsored ethnic cleansing killing and persecution. The Anuaks are getting exterminated as a minority ethnic group. The regional president has escaped to exile after resisting the involvement of the EPRDF security organs on the massacre. The same is true in the eastern part of the country between the Oromo and Somali speakers.

The Tigrean speaking students are also demonstrating their fear to study with other ethnic groups of the country. They came to Addis to apply for a transfer to Tigrai region schools. These genocide activity indicators are the result of the EPRDF/TPLF narrow nationalist and divide and rule policy. This is what the regime claims as "an achievement".

 

Terrorism: - the people and the country are getting terrorized by the different bombings of the public places. Recently the terrorists started to bomb the schools, students and education sectors. The government is not doing anything to control the activities of these inhuman groups despite the huge pledge and support by the international community. The government blames the OLF for the terrors. However the OLF also accuses the EPRDF/TPLF being the organ behind the terror to discredit the OLF in the international and national community. OLF repeatedly mentions the Hawuzen massacre and the role of TPLF behind the screen and TPLF/EPLF as a terrorist organization. The regime of Meles has also developed a tendency of labeling as a "terrorist" whenever legitimate democratic civil society, civic organizations, political groups or individuals regarding the government's action or omission raise human right issues.

 

Corruption: - has reached the highest institutional level from top down. You can look at the recent Government's own Auditors report. Almost all bosses of the regional states and the federal government have been exposed, dismissed, replaced, imprisoned, sentenced, or escaped because of corruption scandals. These victims are those who at the same time came challenging the engineer of the ruling party- Meles Zenawi. Otherwise, the authorities remain in power despite the misuse of taxpayer's money and rampant corruption in the offices if they bow to the dictatorial rule of Zenawi.

 

Natural resource: - The natural resource like soil and forest which are the corner stone of the agricultural economy is degraded severely. The level of soil erosion and deforestation is reaching an irreversible state. There is a negligible effort by the government to avert the trend.

 

Health: - The HIV/AIDS prevalence in Ethiopia is among highest in the world. More than 4 million people are said to be a direct victims of the virus not including the orphans and dependents of the sick people.

 

Education: - The illiteracy rate is ascending. The universal adult education is no longer there. The quality of education is deteriorating from time to time threatening the future human capital resource of Ethiopia. The new education policy is being implemented despite continues objection by the Teachers association, the students and the people.

The economy: -Ethiopia is economically the least developed country. Its GDP is $100. The free market policy is not conducive to attract foreign investment. The government/TPLF owned companies reflects clearly that the country is still under the communist ideology. The vast majority of the people live below the poverty line. The backbone of the countries economy is the agriculture sector. The government ownership of land and the minimum confidence of the peasant on developing the land are seriously affecting the countries agricultural economy. It can be stated that basically the country relies in all on foreign aid for its basic necessities.

 

CONCLUSION:

The reality in Ethiopia is as stated above. The ancient state, the founder of the League of Nations, United Nation and the OAU, a country that defeated colonialism and maintained its independence has taken back to struggle to be a country and a state again. That will be the legacy of the failed regime of Meles/EPRDF. At this historical junction we feel fortunate to have the formation of UEDF. (An umbrella organization that encompasses different political groupings and interests of Ethiopians). It aimed at changing the EPRDF/TPLF regime through a ballot box. Its objective is to save Ethiopia from the all rounded crises created by Meles/TPLF/EPRDF. Hence we Ethiopians need to stand behind UEDF and its member organization for our sustainable survival as a country and people.

 

It is when we admit the wrongs, when we inform the truth, when we have a clear vision and when we halt relying on propaganda that we can build, change and positively transform our country. Ethiopia belongs to all of us. It is only a united effort of all Ethiopians that would put aside our beloved country and people from the disarray confining it. There is no need for a buffer zone in the participation of all Ethiopians in the countries political, socio-economic, cultural etc activities.

 

We all belong to one land and one country, ETHIOPIA!